A few days before the fall carnival, Iโm driving home from my morning kickboxing class when I see a young woman on the Mastersonsโ doorstep.
Sheโs in her twenties, with blond hair similar in color to Aprilโs. Actually, she looks aย lotย like Aprilโsame build, height, and even similar facial features from afar. For a moment, I thought sheย wasย April. They could be sisters, except April is an only child. Perhaps a long lost sister?
I pull into my driveway and watch her from the car for a little while. Iโm not quite sure what to make of it until I see her peering through the dark windows into the Masterson house. As the block captain, I recognize this is unacceptable behavior. I could call the police, but she looks harmless. So I go outside to talk to her.
โExcuse me.โ I clear my throat. โMay I help you?โ
The young woman jumps away from the window. Sheโs only about ten or fifteen years younger than me, but somehow she seems decades younger. She blinks a few times. โOh, Iโฆ I was just looking for Elliot.โ
Somehow, Iโm reminded of Courtney. I saw Courtneyโs photo in the paper, and this woman is a dead ringer. Of course, they both look a lot like April.
โIโm his assistant,โ the woman explains hurriedly. โAnd I came to bring himโฆโ She looks down at her bare hands. โI have some papers in my car.โ
โDo you?โ
โYes.โ She nods vigorously. โI just need toโฆ toโฆโ And then she bursts into tears.
Of course, I invite her inside. I sit her down at her kitchen table and make her a cup of tea while the story unfolds. Her name is Brianna Anderson. She is, as she said, Elliotโs assistant. She is also pregnant. And it is his.
Oh, and sheโs keeping it.
By the end of the story, my mouth is hanging open. Iโve forgotten about the tea sitting in front of me. I canโt even believe what Iโm hearing.
โDoes Elliot know?โ I manage.
She shakes her head miserably. โHeโll flip. I mean, this was supposed to be a casual thing. Fun, you know? A break from that evil witch heโs married to.โ
โRightโฆโ I chew on my lip. โBut you have to tell him. If youโre keeping the baby.โ
โYes, butโฆโ She frowns. โHeโs just going to insist I get rid of it.โ โI donโt think itโs up to him.โ
โHe wonโt leave April.โ
I wonder about that part. Despite everything, Elliot does seem devoted to his family. But he has to know what April is like. Maybe heโs looking for a way out. โI wouldnโt be so sure.โ
Brianna takes a sip from her tea. โThis is really good, Julie. Thank you for listening to me.โ
โOf course.โ I take a drink from my own cup. This is the special Thai milk tea that I ordered from overseas. โIโm happy to do whatever I can to help.โ
โSoโฆโ She lifts an eyebrow. โYouโre not friends with April, I take it.โ โNo,โ I say. โI wouldnโt say so.โ
I study Brianna sitting across the table. She looks so young. I think about what happened to Courtney all those years ago. April wouldnโt dare try something like that again, would she? Two assistants in a row? She has to know that would look very suspicious. Even soโฆ
I get up and find my purse. I fish around inside until I come up with what I was looking for.
โTake this, Brianna,โ I say.
She stares at the bottle of pepper spray. โWhat is it?โ
โItโs pepper spray. Just in case. Keep it with you at all times.โ
She cringes as I lay it down on the kitchen table beside her. โYouโre scaring me. What do you think is going to happen?โ
โI justโฆ I think itโs good to be prepared.โ And then I scribble down my phone number on a piece of paper. โCall me anytime. I want to help you.โ
She manages a smile. โI may need help finding a good lawyer. One who isnโt too expensive.โ
โYouโre in luck. Iโm a lawyer. And Iโm not too expensive.โ
I want to help this girl. And I know exactly how to do it. Enough messing around. I have that photo of April with Mark Tanner. All I had to do is show it to Elliotโthat will be the end of their marriage. He wonโt understand about her cheating, even if he has done it himself.
I can stick it to April and give Brianna a happy ending.